Frozen Angel
by Dragonfire Alchemist
Summary: Cynthia Elric, daughter of Edward and Winry Elric, seems like a normal girl. However, almost every night, she is haunted by nightmares; visions of the past. After an encounter with Truth, things go from odd to crazy. She and her new partner, an amnesiac fox who was once human, soon find themselves caught in a conspiracy that threatens to shake the world to its very core.
1. Enter the Gate

**Hey there, everyone! This is short, since it's just a prologue, but yeah... Anyways, I know it's not very canon (I guess?), but bear with me, please! I don't own FMA... only Hiromu Arakawa is epic enough to handle that ;)**

_Whiteness._

_The white of pre-creation was spread over everything; so new it hurt one's eyes._

_People say that, wherever you go, there is no such thing as complete silence. They are wrong._

_Only a massive doorway, solemn and archaic, and the hazy, grayish outline shaped like a human break the infinite nothingness. The figure taps it's chin as if bored; waiting patiently._

_Bright, golden suns snap to awareness, and a moan echoes on forever._

_Two warm hands push down, contrasting to the colorless environment, making the newcomer rise. "Not this place again…"_

_"Again…again…place…this…agai…n…" _

_The white figure smiles eerily, head resting on it's hand. _

_"I'm glad you've returned. This place can get so lonely sometimes."_

_The person glares angrily. "Why do you always bring me here? I've done nothing. I'm not special. Leave me alone!"_

_The solid, ghostly presence is suddenly right next to them, but not a single breath touches their neck._

_"I beg to differ. You are so interesting…There is no one quite like you." The being's finger lazily curls and twists the blond hair. "You're almost like one of those experiments you humans are always puffing your chests out about, I suppose."_

_The person throws themself backwards, pushing the shimmering hair back in disgust. "Shut up! I'm not an experiment, and you aren't real! Just leave me alone!"_

_The human sprints away, desperately trying to escape the nightmare; desperately searching for the smallest sign of color or life. Giggles ring through the stillness as something taps the person's shoulder, making them cry out in fear. Lungs beginning to burn with acid, limbs suddenly, agonizingly weak, they collapse to the ground. They have no choice but to relent to the unseen grips. Tiny shadow hands appear, and drag them backwards, slowly at first, but growing faster. The person made a half-hearted attempt at breaking loose, but knew it wasn't worth it. They had tried oh-so many times in the past. The Gate behind swung open, sucking them into a dark void…_

**So what did you guys think? I gladly accept constructive criticism, guys... All ears! If you guys think it's okay, I'll be updating again on Wednesday, along with my other story, "What Would You Do?" See ya!**

**-Dfire**


	2. Mysteries

**_Hello, dear readers! I'm sorry there was such a big time difference on my stories' updates, but I guess it can't be helped. (School XP) As always, thanks for reading!_**

_Chapter 2: Mysteries_

The girl shot up, breath heavy and muscles tense. She looked around with distrust, but realizing the nightmare was gone, flopped back onto the pillow. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the sweat-soaked bed sheets, making her groan in dismay. That was the third time this week! She closed her eyes in hope of a few more hours of sleep.

"Thia! Come on, it's time for breakfast!"

Cynthia turned, slowly shoving her face into the pillow with a loud sigh. She could barely keep her eyes open, much less get up.

A strong hand settled on her shoulder, giving her a little shake.

"You're passing up your mother's cooking?"

"I'm tired, Dad," came the muffled reply.

She suddenly found herself being hefted out of the bed, forcing her eyes to open. Eyes that were as golden as her own stared at her accusingly. "Have you been staying up all night again?"

Cynthia laughed nervously. "Yeah, you got me. I was reading again…"

Her father looked at her intently for a few seconds before he straightened up again. "Fine. For now, let's just go get some breakfast."

The girl followed him silently, feeling guilty for the lies.

-*FMA*-

"Can you believe this? Drachma is declaring war on Amestris _again!_"

The man glared daggers at the ruffling newspaper in his hands, as though it were the source of all his problems. A pretty young woman glanced up from washing the dishes.

"I don't see why you're so surprised, Ed. It was bound to happen eventually."

Edward unconsciously began ruffling his hair, brows furrowed. "I know, but for God's sake, Winry, you'd think those idiots would _learn_…"

Winry, having finished the tedious chore, came over and kissed his cheek. "Well, it isn't something that we have to worry about. But why was Cynthia so quiet earlier? I know she isn't a morning person, but she doesn't often space out for that long."

He shrugged, avoiding his wife's gaze in annoyance. "I wish I knew. She's been acting a bit strange lately, but whenever I ask about it, she gets all nervous, like she's hiding something."

The mechanic began to reply, but the sound of boots hitting the bottom of the stairway made both of them turn. There was Cynthia, dressed in jeans, worn and faded, and a black t-shirt. She was already thrusting on a light jacket, hardly paying attention to anything else.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, I'm going to the river. I'll be back in a few hours…"

In a flash, the door had been slammed shut, leaving her parents to look on in bewilderment.

"Well," Winry muttered, grabbing a towel and drying her wet hands, "I blame you."

Edward looked up at her with a sigh of exasperation. "Why me?"

-*FMA*-

Cynthia, wrapped in silence, solemnly listened to the river while perched on her special tree. She absentmindedly brushed the wood, softened with age, with her hand. Every nick and scratch in the tree held a story. The patch of missing bark where she had first tried, and failed, to clamber up the branches. The sharp edge where she had accidentally slashed her knee. Her fingers finally paused on a roughly carved section, and a soft smile lit up her face.

_"__Daddy, what if something hurts my tree while I'm gone?"_

_A young Cynthia, eyes wide and fearful, stared expectantly up at Edward. He got down on his knee and looked at her in the eyes. _

_"__Don't worry, sweetie. The tree knows how to take care of itself because it's old, but it's time to go home now."_

_At this, the little girl stuck out her lower lip, thinking. After a while, she nodded._

_"__Okay… but before we go, can you carve an angel into the tree so it won't get lonely and sad?"_

_The man looked like he was going to protest that angels didn't exist, and it was a pointless idea, but the sheer innocence in his daughter's eyes made him stop. Instead, he sighed, pulled himself up a couple branches, and started carving, the whole time grumbling, "I don't know _where _she and Al got that look…"_

Lost in her own little world, she didn't seem to notice how quiet the forest had become until a startled flock of birds took to the air. Cynthia instinctively shivered, looking around in unease. _What's going on?_

A shadow blanketed the forest as a cloud passed over the sun. The girl felt like she was being watched…

But just as soon as she had felt this, the sensation passed and the surroundings returned to gentle tranquility. It was so fast that she wondered if she was just imagining things.

_It must've been the dream last night, that's all. I shouldn't get so worked up over nothing…_

A faint whine drew her attention.

She found herself gazing down at a small, ginger heap. The shaking figure tilted its head up, dark eyes sparkling dully, before collapsing.

Cynthia had dropped to the ground in an instant. She carefully examined the little animal; a fox. They actually weren't too uncommon around here, but they certainly never showed themselves. Not in the daytime, at least. But the girl didn't care. The fox's coat was matted terribly; fur slick with river mud and chilly water, while it's left rear leg was severely crooked. Most shocking, however, was the skin tightly stretched over the small bones, making the creature look sickeningly anorexic.

"Oh my God… What…?"

Her limbs felt like they were paralyzed from sheer terror. She had never dealt with anything like this before; what do you do in a life-or-death situation like this?

_Thmp, thmp. Thmp, thmp._

_Save him._

Cynthia's eyes widened in shock, hand coming up to her head. What was that voice?

_Thmp, thmp. Thmp, thmp._

_He's your only chance._

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, breaking the spell. She gathered the small, limp animal up in her arms before sprinting for the house.

Those dull, almost black eyes managed to glance up at her face in drugged confusion.

_Why is this girl…? What's going on…? _

_…_

_Who am I…?_

The fox drifted into a deep sleep.

**Dun dun DUUUUUN! What is the foxy-fox's significance? What the heck is Truth up to? And just how much drugs has the author been put on? Ugh. This is NOT my best writing... I apologize...**

**Annoyed by you****: Well, here ya go! As I vowed on my other story, I shall swear that I update every Wednesday and Saturday :)**

**Lotrprincess****: I'm flattered! Although this chapter is complete crap I pulled out of nowhere...**

**BabyBlueBeluga****: Thanks! :D**

**Clair Aragon****: I'm happy that the creepiness actually worked like I intended!**


	3. Voices and Visions

Chapter 3: Voices and Visions

The fox felt nothing. Nothing at all. There was nothing but the stillness of a dreamless slumber.

Occasionally he thought he heard voices.

They were deeper sometimes, and sometimes they were higher-pitched, like a woman.

But there was one voice he liked the most, and it was the one he heard most often. It was gentle, vibrating with beautiful warmth. The voice made him feel an old longing, but for what he didn't know. He couldn't remember anything except whiteness and a burst of red, but that was it. But… there was something else. Something in his mind told him that he wasn't supposed to be like this. Why did he have fur when he remembered the bite of autumn, the chill of winter, the rain of spring, and the heat of summer against bare skin?

No matter how hard he thought about it, it just wouldn't come.

The darkness felt like it had been there forever. Sometimes he would feel so light that he could fly, and he tried to soar up, to escape.

But the voice would always bring him back. The gentle words grew panicked and on the edge of tears.

He didn't like that. So he let himself grow heavier, sinking back into the gloom. Then the voice would get happy and talk to him. He didn't always understand what it was saying, but sometimes he could pick out a few words. Words like "it's okay" and "you're going to get better". Sometimes the voice would tell him a story, from what he made out. He especially liked the times where the voice would grow excited, telling of "adventure".

-*FMA*-

"Cynthia, it's time for bed!"

The girl looked up from where she sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor, trying to get some water into the fox's mouth. She gave the clock a quick check. Eleven thirty? Ugh. Parents got tired so inconveniently early.

"'Kay, Dad!"

She didn't even move. She could sleep later.

The bedroom door creaked open and Edward stuck his head in.

"I'm not stupid, Thia. I pulled that same trick when I was younger. Now get into bed; you've been up for three days straight taking care of the thing."

Cynthia glared up at her father. "But I'm not tired! And he isn't a 'thing'; he's a living, breathing, unique creature."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Thia…"

Her face hardened and her scowl deepened. "If I was hurt, you would do the same thing. Besides, I was going to sleep once I got some water into him. He nearly died a couple times these past few days, and I don't want him to give up when I start sleeping."

Molten gold eyes glared scorchingly from both sides of the room. Finally, the older man backed off.

"Fine… but you had better have that light off in fifteen minutes."

In turn, his daughter grinned up at him smugly.

"I mean it, Cynthia!"

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Good night, Dad."

He hesitated in the doorway for a few seconds before turning and leaving. "Good night, Thia."

"I wish he wasn't so protective," she muttered in the fox's ear. "I always ask him to teach me alchemy, like what he did when he was my age, but he always says no. It isn't fair."

The black-tipped ear twitched faintly.

"I don't even know why I keep talking to you. I'm not even sure you can understand a thing I say."

She gently ruffled the fur on his head before getting up and climbing into bed.

"Sleep tight, little guy. I'll see you in the morning."

She waited, half expecting him to stir from his nest of towels and blankets. He didn't, of course.

Cynthia rolled over with a sigh of disappointment before falling asleep.

-*FMA*-

_Her eyes were greeted with a dark place when they opened. Looking around in confusion, her gaze settled on a woman with blonde hair, who stood deathly still. _

_"__Selim Bradley. Just who are you supposed to be?"_

_Who was she talking to? It didn't look like there was anyone nearby. Admittedly, Cynthia felt a strange urge to run and hide._

_"__You're very bold to ask me my true identity under these circumstances, Lieutenant Hawkeye."_

_There! The voice… it was coming from behind the wall. It was so high-pitched that it sounded like a little boy. But the voice made her shiver with fear. It felt like the very words that voice made were laced with poison._

_"__You were so very smart not to draw your gun… You would be unable to defeat me."_

_Cynthia gasped in horror. Shadow hands, like the ones that always managed to catch her in the Gate, began creeping through the moonlight. _

_"__Hey! Lady, look out! Run!"_

_The woman ignored her. "Are you a Homunculus? Like Gluttony?"_

_The girl threw herself in front of the woman, looking into her amber eyes desperately. "RUN! Why won't you listen to me?!"_

_"__No… I sense a pressure coming from you that makes Gluttony feel like NOTHING…"_

_"__MOVE, DAMMIT!"_

_Cynthia lunged for the lady's hand, but was sent reeling back in shock. She had gone right through the person…_

_"__No," she whispered, "N-not again…"_

_This had happened many times in the past. _

_"__I'm offended that you would even consider us to be on the same level, because my name is Pride. I am the first Homunculus."_

_At this point, the girl had dropped to the ground, eyes squeezed shut and hands over her ears. "It's not real… It's just a dream…"_

_A weightless feeling engulfed her, and, to her terror, her body floated upright. Her eyes were forced open, and her hands felt like they were glued to her sides._

_**You need to see this. Don't you dare look away!**_

_Cynthia began trembling. That voice…_

_The shadows around the small figure, a little boy, opened to reveal glowing eyes, red and slitted, as well as giant, toothy grins. They weren't unlike the eye within the Gate._

_The woman looked visibly shaken. "You refer to yourself as the first Homunculus. What does that mean?"_

_"__Just what I said."_

_She let out a tiny, startled noise when the shadows began slithering up her legs like snakes._

_"__You tried to get a little bit of information out of me, did you? You really are quite brave."_

_The shadows finished reaching her face, a little hand tracing the outlines of her face. _

_"__You should concede to becoming one of us."_

_"__One of you? All you want is more pawns."_

_Cynthia gasped. Either this woman had a death wish, or she was ridiculously brave._

_"__Oh I see. What a shame. Well, then…"_

_Not only were Cynthia's limbs frozen, it felt like her heart had stopped, too. The razor sharp hand sliced the skin of the woman's cheek like warm butter, leaving the blood to eagerly spill out. Nevertheless, a small smirk, albeit one of adrenaline-fueled horror, appeared._

_"__I would prefer that you didn't make empty threats. There's no game in killing your hostage."_

_To the bystander's relief, the shadows instantly receded. _

_"__You understand things quite well. Lieutenant Hawkeye… Mind what you say. I will always be watching you… from the shadows._

_The woman- Hawkeye? – turned on her heel, presumably to see her assailant. There was nothing there._

_Hawkeye started shaking, face pale and eyes still wide with fear._

_Finally, the iron grips from inside Cynthia's own body released. She looked up at the woman, eyes filled to the brim with tears._

_"__I'm so sorry. I c-couldn't help you…"_

_The lady just kept her haunted expression, and, without even noticing, passed right through the teenager in front of her._

_Cynthia dropped to her knees and glared furiously up at the sky. "Why? Why do you make me do this, you son of a bitch…!? Why do you make me watch these people get hurt? What could you possibly gain from that, you sick… you s-sick…" The tears she had held back suddenly rained onto the pavement. "I H-HATE YOU!"_

**So... anyone have a guess as to what that creeper Truth is up to? Sorry I pulled dialogue out of an episode, but it's all a part of mah MASTER PLAN! This scene always scares the crap out of me... and so does Truth... -_-"**

**Griz Lee: ...Mary Sue alert... (eye twitches) Anyways, I've been trying to keep my OC out of those dangerous waters! Hopefully I'm doing fine :) And just remember; crazy works! (Do I FINALLY have someone that watches Supernatural besides me?!)**

**BabyBlueBeluga: ...Stop running into walls... They damage the smarticle particles in your head...**

**lotrprincess: Holy sweet mother of Amaterasu, that is EPIC! And yes, Edward seems to have passed quite a few traits on to his daughter, which you'll notice if you look close enough... *sigh* Now Winry has another one to deal with! Although her daughter's later actions will almost certainly give her gray hairs... Hehe...**

**Thank you all for reviewing! Dragon hugs for everyone! :D**

**-Dfire**


	4. Sunrise

**Well, it took me who-knows-long to finally get over my writer'rs block and make another chapter, but it has been done :) Enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Sunrise

Cynthia twitched softly, but it was just enough to wake her up. For countless minutes, she just kept her eyes closed and pressed herself just a bit harder into the mattress. Once she had settled down enough, she opened her eyes to survey the room. It was dark-probably very early in the morning. An unfamiliar, dark shadow on the ground caught her eye and she flinched. But then she realized it was just the little fox.

_"It's okay, Thia… you just had a little bad dream again. They can't hurt you. The lady isn't real. You were just super exhausted, that's all." _

…Yeah right. The girl wasn't stupid; she knew that something was up. She had always had the nightmares-couldn't remember a time when they _weren't _there. However, it was getting completely out of hand. She'd only have maybe three nightmares that were sort of like the one last night a month; the ones that were sort of like visions… and dreams that took her to the Gate almost never happened. Those were so few and far between that they could easily just be passed off as eating too much sugar before going to bed or something stupid like that. But lately, starting over two months ago, they had taken a turn for the worst. It had gotten so bad that she was lucky if she had one peaceful night's sleep in a month, and she was brought to the Gate about once a week.

Of course, she had one rule about the nightmares: never tell Mom and Dad. She hated to flaunt that stupid weakness. Besides, it wasn't like her parents could just make her nightmares go away; that was impossible. It would just stress them out, and sometimes Cynthia felt like she was a burden enough without revealing her secret.

Almost unconsciously, she pushed herself out of bed, sat on the floor next to the fox, and began to stroke his head.

"What should I do?" she muttered to herself.

To her surprise, she was answered with a quiet whine. She looked down and was greeted by foggy eyes.

"So you're finally awake, huh? It's a good thing. I was getting pretty worried about you, little guy." She started rubbing his neck, eliciting an odd hum, almost like a purr.

"Oh, do you like that?" she smiled, relieved. "You really did give me a scare earlier, you know."

The purring stopped, and the fox gazed at her intently. At that moment, the sun began to rise and light filled the room. Cynthia couldn't hold back a quiet gasp as the fox's eyes glinted amethyst in the dawn.

"I know I'm not an expert on animals, but I'm pretty sure that foxes don't have purple eyes…"

He just heaved a sigh before dragging himself into her lap, disused muscles shaking from the effort. The feeling of his bony rib scraping across her leg made her wince, but she pulled him closer.

"What the heck did you do to get like this?"

No answer.

Oh yeah. Talking to a wild animal. Oops.

"Well, at least I can get you some food now." She paused. "Hopefully Mom and Dad won't ask why I'm up so early. Maybe I can tell them that you were whining and it woke me up?"

She heard what sounded suspiciously like a grumble.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll find a different excuse. C'mere."

Cynthia gently scooped the fox into her arms, nudged the door farther open with her foot, and walked down the stairs.

-*FMA*-

In the kitchen, the girl kept musing to herself as she went through the different cupboards, different objects rustling at her touch.

"Maybe… this? No… not enough fat…"

The fox interrupted her thought process by growling. She turned around.

"Hey, I'm hurrying. I'll be done in a second. I just need to find something for you."

The fox lowered the volume, but he continued to growl. He looked down at the blanket he was on in disgust. Sure, it was comfortable, but…

_"Why the hell did it have to be pink?"_ He thought in annoyance. Pink was such a girly color… If only he could tell her that, or at least have the strength to be able to get away from it.

"Hey, does bacon and eggs with cheese sound good to you?"

The fox immediately shut up and yipped in approval. Hey, he didn't know exactly what the stuff was, but he was positive that he had heard it was good from somewhere. Where, he honestly couldn't remember. Which was the same with just about everything else… He shifted with discomfort, head already beginning to ache. No matter how hard he tried-in fact, the harder he tried, the worse his headache got-he just couldn't recall any memories. It felt like trying to empty a lake with a bucket full of holes.

-*FMA*-

Not too much later, possibly the most amazing scent in the world flooded the fox's senses. He gave a whimper full of anticipation, and his tail wagged with all the strength he could muster up. The girl laughed and looked back from where she was making the heavenly smell's source.

"You're really hungry, aren't you, little guy? Don't worry," From his viewpoint, he could only see that she was holding something up, and he heard the sound of scraping dishes. Eventually, she walked toward him and set a plate on the ground near his head. The fox eagerly scooted towards it, but when he saw how little food it held, he looked up at her in anger.

_"I'm starving! Literally!" _he thought.

Understanding his glare, she crouched down beside him.

"I don't know if you knew this or not, but if I gave you a bunch of food all at the same time, you'd get really sick. Just eat this nice and slow, then in thirty minutes I can give you more. We have to repeat it four or five times because the amount right there is only a quarter of what you would normally eat."

He gave a final, complaining whine before snapping up a mouthful of the eggs. Instantly, he was rewarded with pleasure. He barely chewed the rubbery substance before swallowing. Despite the girl's earlier warning, he began wolfing the whole plate down. Oh, and the bacon-! The meat tasted so good! The fat just melted in his mouth, and it was prepared so well that it wasn't too crunchy or too soft. It wasn't long before he had finished up every last bite. As soon as he had finished, she took the plate off the ground, and replaced it with a bowl of water.

"Drink plenty of water, okay? Your body's going to have a super hard time digesting right now, so the more you drink, the better."

He obediently followed her advice. Despite claiming that she didn't know very much about animals, she was a pretty good veterinarian.

"I've been thinking, little guy."

The fox, fortunately, at least knew the customary comeback. _"A dangerous habit," _he thought in amusement.

"And yeah, you're probably thinking, 'It's a dangerous habit'…"

He was rather surprised by this. How did she know?

"But then again, I don't know what goes on in your head. Anyways, I was thinking that you need a name, instead of me just calling you 'little guy' all the time."

Now that he thought about it, he _was _getting pretty annoyed at the nickname. He didn't know his own name, so it would be good to find a suitable replacement, even if it was temporary. He did plan on getting his memories back, after all.

"How about… Clyde?"

The fox weakly shook his head.

"Ginger?"

_"Really?" _He responded with a low growl.

"Red?"

He almost snapped at her, but settled for a louder growl. _"God, kill me now."_

"All right, I'm sorry that I'm not good at picking names. How about," she paused for a few seconds, "Helios? It relates to the sun, and… well, yeah…" She trailed off uncertainly.

He almost instinctively growled yet again, but he stopped and thought. Actually, it was a pretty good name. The longer he thought about it, the more perfect it sounded. After all, the first thing he had seen when he woke up by the river was the sun. And then a large shadow had landed near him, golden hair glowing like fire…

The fox gently nudged her hand. _"It'll do, for now."_

Cynthia smiled. "Well, at least I found something you like. How about you rest for a while, then I'll feed you once the thirty minutes are up?"

In reply, he buried his face in the warm blanket, momentarily forgetting his dislike of the "girly" color.

_"Helios, huh? Not too shabby…"_

**I know the name is probably stupid, but it's the best I could come up with. Oh well! *shrugs* But I have news: I won't be updating twice a week for this story any more. It kind of put a lot of pressure on me, since it takes longer for me to write this story than any of my other ones... But I'll update on Wednesday :D Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!**

**BabyBlueBeluga****: STOP. No more banging your head on the wall, even if I do have a tendency to torture my characters... But so do you, Ms. "I'm going to torture all the Maximum Ride characters, especially Max and Angel" XP**

**Harryswoman****: Welll, this update wasn't exactly "soon", but... Thank you :)**

**Lotrprincess****: Well, if you write the crossover, I know I can die happy :D And yes, in the ordinary storyline, Cynthia would have an older brother, but I couldn't figure out a way to really write him in, sooo... NON-CANON ALERT! RETARDED AUTHOR ALERT! XD**

**Griz Lee****: -_-" Dragon hugs aren't painful, unless I'm trying to kill someone... But another reason I don't want Cynthia to be a Mary Sue is that I constantly make fun of them and stuff, so it would be really weird and stuff if I introduced one... *sweatdrops***

**KKitten1313****: Well, let's just say that Helios's secret identity is going to be a real shocker :)**

**-Dfire**


	5. Rising Storm

**Hey, I'm back! This chapter is sort of a filler, and sort of a "meanwhile at..." thing... And I just had to write it :) Hope you like it!**

Chapter 5: Rising Storm

It was your average day in Central Headquarters. Busy as ever… and no sign of a certain superior officer. Riza glanced around, narrowly avoiding a tightly knit clump of co-workers in the hallway. As usual, the newest recruits were wandering around gawking. Normally, this would be amusing, and Riza would inwardly laugh for a bit before helping the poor souls out, but she couldn't today. Once again, she eyed her surroundings and shifted the heavy folder she bore to her left arm. Where was he…? Over in the corner of the busy hallway were two younger soldiers that she recognized immediately. Maybe they would know.

"Excuse me, Privates Harvelle and Singer?"

The men instantly stopped chatting and hastily snapped to attention, momentarily caught off guard. "Y-yes, Colonel Hawkeye, sir!"

She almost told them not to act so formal, but she was stopped by two things. First, they were at work; it was kind of mandatory that they call her by the proper title and all. Second, she was in a hurry. "Have either of you seen General Mustang around here?"

Harvelle hesitantly raised his hand. "I think I saw him heading that way…" With that, he pointed in the direction of the Fuhrer's office. Not wanting to waste any more time, the colonel nodded and threw a quick "thank you" over her shoulder.

Singer blinked. "Do you know what that was about, Joey?"

Harvelle just shrugged. It was probably for the best that they didn't know.

-*FMA*-

The old man's hand hovered above the chess table, eyes scanning for something that he hadn't seen; something he'd missed. However, he knew he hadn't skipped anything the first time he had checked. Heck, his eyes might not be as good as they used to be, but he was still the renowned king of the game.

"Goodness, General Mustang, you're getting better. You managed to get a draw yet again."

On the opposite side of the large, oak desk, Roy smirked. "I've been practicing for a while now. Maybe one day I'll finally be able to surpass you; take your title, even, Fuhrer."

Grumman chuckled. "It's quite possible. I'm not as young as I used to be… Perhaps I should think about retiring soon."

"Of course, that means choosing a successor…" The brigadier general began putting the pieces away, but he kept a close watch on what the Fuhrer would say.

"Ah yes, I suppose so. Now, I wonder."

Roy just barely held his breath.

"It could definitely be you… but don't forget that General Armstrong also plays a mean game of chess."

Yes; he couldn't forget his competition, the Ice Queen. In recent years, she had been promoted to Central, and Miles had become her replacement at Briggs. She also strived for the top, but for what reason, Roy didn't know. If he found out, maybe he could win himself an advantage.

"Anyways," the Fuhrer stated, "It looks like you're taking good care of the chess set I gave you all those years ago. I trust that you're taking care of the queen, especially?"

Roy's hand lingered on said chess piece, his personal favorite.

"Especially so, sir."

He finished putting the set away and stood.

"It was an excellent match, but I'm afraid I have to go. I still have a lot of paperwork to do."

Grumman waved his hand and grinned. "It was, indeed. I never realized how the time flew by. You are dismissed, Brigadier General."

Roy gave a formal salute before leaving. As he closed the door, a movement to his right caught his eye.

_"Oh crap, she looks annoyed."_

The man turned to face Riza. "Hello, Colonel. How are you?" (Inward gulp)

He could have sworn her eyes narrowed a bit.

"I'm somewhat tired today, sir. It was difficult to find you."

Roy began heading for his office, Riza walking at her usual spot behind him. He nodded. "I apologize, Colonel."

She just blinked. "We've talked about this before, sir."

"Yes, I know… 'Tell me where you're going before rushing off headfirst, yada, yada, yada'…"

Her expression didn't waver, but a dark feeling filled the air. "I don't recall saying 'yada, yada, yada', sir…"

Roy began to sweat, realizing his error. "U-um… I… was just paraphrasing, Lieute- I mean, Colonel…"

By then, they had reached the office. Riza held the heavy door open and nodded without saying anything. Maybe now her superior officer would remember to tell her when he left so she didn't have to worry. He was one of the military's higher-ups, after all. More people would know him, and if more people knew him, the more likely he was to be attacked. It was her job to always be on the alert, no matter what. She couldn't afford to fail him now; not when he was so close to reaching the top.

And whenever he disappeared like that, it honestly scared her.

_"But I __**won't**__ fail him. I just have to keep my head in the game."_

She snapped back to reality, stepped into the office, and set the overstuffed folder on top of an already growing, inch-thick pile on Roy's desk.

"What's all that for…?" he griped in dismay.

Riza shook her head and sighed. "It seems like the Drachman soldiers have been causing more damage than expected at Briggs, sir."

Roy scowled. He had dealt with paperwork because of Drachma's little invasions all the time, but this was ridiculous. Absentmindedly, he grabbed his pen and began to sort through the menacing pile. As the colonel was about to leave, Roy held up a hand and waved her back over.

"Yes, sir?" she questioned, with maybe the faintest hint of impatience. Riza needed to get her own paperwork done and out of the way, so she hoped it didn't take too long. Ah, the perks of being promoted in the military… When she was a lieutenant, she didn't have nearly as much work to do. At least she got all _her _work turned in on time, however.

"I want your opinion, Colonel. What do you think about Drachma's latest declaration of war?"

She thought for a minute. "Well," she said slowly, "from what I've heard, they seem to be getting stronger and more motivated. This war could end up being rather troublesome for the country. I… I believe I'm getting a bad feeling about this. It seems different from the last few times."

Roy nodded, taking in every word.

"All right, Colonel. You're dismissed."

Riza took her leave without another word. It was rare for her to wish that her thoughts were wrong, but this was one of the few occasions. But for now, she just needed to focus on getting the work done today.

Roy paused in the middle of reading a paragraph, and started fiddling with his pen.

_"I can feel it, too. There's a storm coming, and it's going to be ugly."_

**Ooh, foreshadowing! :D And if I screwed up on their ranks or something, then you may yell and scream at me if you wish :) Anyways, I TOTALLY made a reference to a certain show when I put in Privates Harvelle and Singer. If you can guess which show, you get lots of cookies!**

**Harryswoman****: And you can't believe how great it feels to be updating again X)**

**Xodiac 451****: Yup, Helios's true identity is planned out to be a real shocker! (And I think everyone likes a good, old-fashioned game of "Guess Who" ;))**

**Lotrprincess****: Thank you! And that plot sounds AWESOME! I'm going to try for first reviewer once you write it! *determined face***

**Thanks for reading, everyone! Please make sure to hit that magical review button on your way out! They let me know how I'm doing, along with making my day :)**

**-Dfire**


	6. I Feel Your Pain

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaack~! Not much to say, so let's just get on with the story :D**

Chapter 6: I Feel Your Pain

Helios woke up from his latest nap at a seemingly late hour, judging from how dark it was. He glanced over the room, when his gaze finally landed on the bed. It was higher than the field of his vision, but he could still make out the faintest golden shine in the darkness.

_"Cynthia…"_

For once, she wasn't restlessly tossing and turning and getting herself tied up in the blankets as she slept. There was no sweat, and no fear-stench. There was just… _her_. Helios sniffed a little harder.

She smelled pleasant. There was a strong aroma of the forest around her, while faint trails of blossoming flower scent gently wove their way throughout. Deeper, she smelled of healing herbs and water. And deepest yet, she smelled almost just like that man-what was his name? Edward? But she lacked that strange, metallic smell that came from her father's leg. All in all, very nice.

As he was trying to make himself more comfortable, Cynthia began to shudder and moan. The previous few nights, he had just done his best to ignore the waves of suffering coming from her, and he eventually fell asleep. But… tonight, he just couldn't sit by and watch. Helios began pulling himself up.

_"Damn… This is really hard…"_

After ten minutes of struggling, he managed to stand, only to look at the bed in dismay. How was he supposed to climb that thing? His thoughts were broken by a loud gasp.

-FMA-

Cynthia clenched her teeth and kept her eyes squeezed shut for a while.

The only thing going through her head was, _"Shhh… shhh… C-calm… down…"_

Her nightmare had been a bit fast, but it still hit her hard, nonetheless. She tilted her head to the side, towards Helios; an action she had developed over the past few days to reassure herself. To her immediate surprise, her little friend was standing. Sure, he was trembling from the effort, but he was finally standing!

"Helios…" she blinked.

The fox let out a sigh and let his legs collapse back under his body. A thought occurred to Cynthia, and she crept out of bed to sit with Helios.

"Did I," she began scratching behind his ear, "wake you up? I'm sorry."

He just nuzzled her hand and sunk deeper into his little nest.

She paused a little and her eyes lost some of their energy. "Sorry," she murmured again, quietly.

Helios did nothing but close his eyes. He just didn't know what could possibly be done to alleviate the situation. After a few minutes, she took in a deep, shaky breath.

"Are you still awake?"

He made a soft grunt in agreement.

"…I had another nightmare."

_"I know."_

"I'm always having them, especially recently."

_"I think I knew that, too."_

"Would… Can I tell you what happened?"

_"I don't mind. I practically have all the time in the world." _Because she couldn't read his thoughts, he grunted again.

"Thanks… Helios. It all started when… there was a man in the library. He was wearing this blue uniform, so I think he was a soldier."

_"Hm?"_

"He was muttering something to himself. The only words I could really make out were 'uprising', 'human sacrifices', and 'Philosopher's Stone'."

_"…Philosopher's Stone? And human sacrifices? I don't know what they mean, but… why do they sound so familiar? It doesn't make sense…"_

"He started getting more upset, and then the door slammed shut. Standing there was this weird lady with a strange tattoo on her chest."

"_Strange? How so?"_

She seemed to hear his thoughts. "I don't know… it was so weird. It was bright red, like blood. It sort of looked like a serpent with wings in a circle, about to eat it's own tail or something."

_"…Odd…"_

"The lady was really pretty, too. She had a black dress on, but it was cut so you could easily see that tattoo. Her hair was lighter black, shiny, and wavy. But her face looked so cruel and cold. She was smiling, but her eyes were deadly. They were slitted, like a wild animal's."

That sounded sort of familiar to Helios, too. He would think about that later.

"Anyways, she started talking to the man. She said, 'Hello, Lieutenant Colonel. It's nice to meet you. But then again, hello maybe isn't the word I'm looking for.' Then…" Cynthia shuddered.

_"What is it? What happened?"_

"Her… her nails… they extended, like spears…" Cynthia held up her own hand, staring at it as though she herself had the spear claws. "Then she started advancing on the man, and she extended the spears so they went through his shoulder. He managed to grab a push knife and shoved it through her forehead, but she didn't die."

_"That doesn't sound good."_

"The man stumbled out of the room. He fell, but he still managed to get himself back up. Then the lady pulled the knife out of her f-forehead…" she shivered. "He walked past this other lady, who smiled at him and said something about him showing pictures of his daughter off until she saw he was wounded. He just ignored her and grabbed the phone, muttering 'I have to tell him'. He waited for a moment, and then put the phone down, which was now covered in his own blood."

_"What was he so desperate to tell 'him'? Who is 'him'?"_

"He walked past the lady again and told her to forget he was even there. He left the building and managed to make it to a phone booth outside. He told the operator to connect him to someone called 'Colonel Mustang' right away."

_"Mustang? Is that the 'him' the guy in the uniform was muttering about? Not to mention… that name sounds kind of familiar, too."_

"They had this long conversation, and the guy finally said 'You are speaking to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes! This is a matter of life and death!'"

_"Even that name sounds familiar, but just a little less than the other stuff…"_

"He had to recite a password or something to the operator, but then a gun's safety lock clicked off behind him. A different lady, one with short, brown hair, was holding a gun up to him, and she said that he needed to put down the phone. He started getting angry, and finally asked who she was. She said, 'I'm Second Lieutenant Ross, sir.'"

_"Well, at least that name doesn't sound __**as **__familiar. Still kind of rings a bell, though."_

"Then he said, 'You're not Second Lieutenant Ross. She has a mole under her left eye.'"

_"He must know that woman pretty well."_

"A-and then… The lady pointed at her face, and she made a small mole appear, right where the guy had said it was. But the lady's voice changed a little, and her eyes slitted. They talked, and then the man pulled out another push knife. Before he turned around, I noticed this red electricity surround the lady and she… shape shifted or something. She changed into another lady that looked just like the one in the picture the man had dropped."

_"Shape shifting? What a dirty trick. Kind of smart, I suppose..."_

"The lady smiled, and the man froze. He started shaking really bad, and then the lady… sh-shot… him…"

_"That… must have been so hard to watch. I'm sorry."_

"But then the lady shape shifted again, into a weird-looking… teenager, I g-guess… Then he grabbed the phone and hung it up, while a man on the other end of the line started saying something. He started mocking the man, Hughes, who was lying on the floor of the phone booth, saying, 'You humans don't make sense to me. You throw away your lives for nothing.' He walked away, and… the lieutenant colonel started apologizing to two girls, named Gracia and Elicia. And… he d-died…"

_"Those names don't sound fa- What?"_

Several drops of water fell onto his nose. He noticed that Cynthia was trembling, with her face in her hands.

_"Are you… crying?"_

A few more wetted his fur. He looked up at the girl in confusion. _"So… this is what 'crying' looks like…"_

When he had been unconscious, but more aware of Cynthia's voice, she had told him a story. He had stayed awake through almost all of it, he proudly remembered. Close to the end of the story, the main character had "cried", as Cynthia put it. She said the "tears" fell to the ground like raindrops. Now he understood; crying was a gesture of sorrow and pain.

_"But you of all people… A person so happy, like you… can also be torn with grief."_

He pulled himself into her arms with some of the strength he had regained after he had stood. Helios mustered up even more, raised himself up, and rubbed his nose against her face.

_"It's going to be a long night, isn't it?"_

**Yes, I added Hughes's death. *tries to keep from crying* I HAD TO WATCH HUGHES DIE ON YOUTUBE TO WRITE THIS ;_; And I just had to make a hurt/comfort filler... I just had to... *sigh* Thanks for reading, and please review! They make me very, very, very happy and encourage me to wite more! :)**

**Harryswoman****: Darned Writer's Block... it's the writing equivalent of the devil XP**

**BabyBlueBeluga****: Oooh, yes, yes they are... And then you're going to get so mad at me for torturing Roy and Riza! XD They WILL be tortured later on...**

**RedLicoriceMoustache****: Sorry... I can't say who Helios is, or it will totally ruin the ending! Lol...**

**Lotrprincess****:Yeah, that's like me... it takes a full year to plan (about 6 months if I'm lucky) a story. And I wish Grumman would say that, but alas, they only speak in confusing codes.**

**Po. Lars****: Oh sweet, I love Pomeranians! XD And now Helios has a namesake! I'm going to include the children of various characters, but... I really can't imagine Kimblee having a kid. It would be an awkward relationship (Kimblee's kid: Daddy, what did you do at work today? Kimblee: Oohh, same ol', same ol'... murdered about twenty people, blew up half a city block... you know.). So yeah... And tell Griz I said have fun in England! :D**

**Kittenizzy Loves Edward Elric****: Thanks! And sorry, I can't give any clues as to whether you're right or wrong, as I mentioned aboave. *sweatdrop* But once his identity is revealed, I plan on giving a shout-out to the people that guessed it early :)**

**All righty, see ya next Wednesday!**

**-Dfire**


	7. Plan

**Hello, everyone! I didn't think I'd be able to get this written fast enough to update today, but whaddaya know? I did, and here's the latest chapter! :D**

**Chapter 7: Plan**

A couple weeks later, Cynthia woke up to warm, soft fluff tickling her nose. She moved the main culprit, Helios's tail, from her face with a hand.

"Helios," she muttered, "what have I said about sleeping on the bed?"

Her question was answered with a long, drawn-out, overdramatic sigh.

"Helios, get off."

The fox growled and shifted to make himself more comfortable, tail now covering Cynthia's nose and mouth. She sputtered, trying not to swallow any hairs.

"That's it, Helios, you're getting off."

She opened her eyes, scooping the fox up in both arms, about to gently set him on the floor. Helios yipped in protest before going limp and trembling. His sparkling, amethyst eyes widened, staring-no, _pleading_.

Cynthia hesitated.

Helios mewed pathetically.

You know who won the argument.

And thus, Helios not only got to keep his place on the bed, he even gained a pleasant massage between the shoulders from his own gullible human.

-*FMA*-

Cynthia yawned as she forced her breakfast down, not feeling that hungry. Helios perked his head as a loud clank, followed by a muffled curse, came from the second floor above them. Cynthia reached over and sleepily scratched his chin.

"Mom pulled an all-nighter last night to get a large automail order done on time. She probably dropped something is all."

Helios briefly nuzzled her hand before staring as hard as he could at the rest of Cynthia's toast.

She rolled her eyes and set the plate next to the chair on the floor where Helios could reach it.

"Helios, I swear you are so spoiled."

His tail gave a little wag in acknowledgement as he greedily tore into the bread.

A minute later, Winry walked down the steps. Her eyes had bags under them from lack of sleep.

"Thia," she muttered drowsily, "I need you to run to the store as soon as you can. I accidentally broke a 4B screw, and I need a replacement."

Cynthia shrugged. "Sure, Mom. Anything else I need to get?"

The mechanic nodded, somewhat more awake now, but still rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, hold on, and I'll make a list."

-*FMA*-

Cynthia strolled along the dirt path, worn with use by both pedestrians and horses and carts alike, while Helios padded alongside. He still wobbled when he walked, but it was obvious that he was getting much stronger. You could still see traces of his bones sticking out, yet not as sharply. Since this was one of the few times Helios had been outside since he had been taken in, Cynthia kept a close, worried watch over the fox, praying that his tender paw pads wouldn't get cut. Eventually they reached the small, quiet town, where they quickly made for the store.

As the shop's door opened, a little dingly-bell jingled cheerily.

The storekeeper looked up from his place behind the counter, looking pleasantly surprised. "Good morning, Thia! What brings you today?"

Cynthia smiled. "Hi, Mr. Shein. I need a 4B screw, polishing grease, and a dent-removal hammer."

"Sure thing."

Not too much later, Mr. Shein was handing her the bag full of supplies in exchange for 500 cenz. He raised his eyebrow at the sight of the fox patiently sitting next to Cynthia, but didn't say a word.

"Thank you, sir!" Cynthia waved, held the door open for Helios, and set out for the next store.

-*FMA*-

Once her arms were full and she had gotten everything on the list, Cynthia made ready to head back home. Something caught her eye, and her ear, however.

"Yeah, anyone know where I can find the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric? I heard rumors that he lives around here!"

Cynthia marched over to where the voice was coming from. Sitting on a bench and chattering excitedly there was a younger man-someone Cynthia didn't know, so he must be a traveler- with scruffy, sandy-colored hair and the trademark Amestrian blue eyes.

"He's a real hero, but I hear that nobody's seen him in about fourteen years!"

She sat down on the bench next to the man, looking at him with interest.

"Excuse me, sir. What were you saying about the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

He quickly turned his head, eager to share with a new person. "He's a hero! Saved Amestris, and quite possibly the whole world!"

Cynthia's eyes widened a little, and Helios's head cocked. Cynthia's dad, Ed? He had saved the _world_?

"And how," Cynthia questioned, studying the man carefully, "How did he do that?"

"Well, with alchemy, of course! He was the youngest State Alchemist on record to date… joined when he was twelve, or so they say."

Cynthia thought about this for a moment. "What did he save the world from, exactly?"

"I hear that it was a deranged immortal who tried to steal the souls of everyone in Amestris. He used alchemy to do the impossible and defeated the monster. It sounds crazy, but everyone I know swears that it's true."

"And… I heard a rumor that the Fullmetal Alchemist won't or can't use alchemy anymore. Do you know how that could have happened?"

"Well…" the man hesitated. Cynthia leaned closer.

"Yes?"

"I heard that rumor, too, but nobody knows why. Sorry, I don't know."

Cynthia was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. She quickly looked up, a hasty smile on her face.

"Well, thank you anyways. I have to get going." She abruptly stood up and started walking home, Helios rushing to catch up. She eventually slowed her pace so they could easily walk side by side, an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry, Helios. It's just that no one can ever tell me why Dad won't do alchemy anymore, and he never says anything when I ask him."

_"It's fine."_ He thought. _"But did your dad really save  
the world?"_

She said nothing, and Helios cursed his lack of speech for the hundredth time.

"I don't really know too much about what Dad did before. I just know that he was the youngest person to become a State Alchemist, his title was the Fullmetal Alchemist, and he somehow saved the country with alchemy. I'm not even sure he can do alchemy anymore… but I don't know for sure. I've just never seen him do it, _ever_. Not only that, but he refuses to teach it to me, or even let me look at his old alchemy books."

_"I wonder why?"_

Cynthia didn't even bother to glance up as she stepped up to the door, opened it, held it for Helios with her foot, and went inside after him. She carefully set the bags on the table, scooped Helios up because he couldn't go up and down the stairs by himself yet, and ran up to her room.

"Mom, I got the stuff you needed," she shouted, closing the door.

A muffled "thanks" came from her mother's workshop.

"Helios," Cynthia murmured, "I've been thinking really hard about something, for a while now."

_"Hm?"_

"I _really_ want to learn alchemy, so… I was going to take a book from Dad's study. It would just be a beginner's book, something he wouldn't miss…" She faltered and trailed off.

_"Your decision, not mine. But I guess if you really want to, maybe."_

She seemed to understand his knowing stare. "Okay, Helios. I'm…" she swallowed. "I'll do it tonight, unless Dad's in there all night, like he does sometimes... Yeah. I'm gonna do it!" Her face hardened in resolve, fists clenching.

_"It might not be the best idea, or it could turn out well. I don't know, but I'll stick with you."_ He gave her a quick lick to show that he would back her up.

Cynthia smiled, running a hand through Helios's fur, marveling at the luster it had regained.

"Thanks, buddy. You don't know how much this means to me. So… tonight, hopefully, I'll be able to learn alchemy for the first time."

Helios blinked. He might not exactly understand alchemy, but it must be good if it made Cynthia happy.

_"I can't wait for tonight."_

**So how was it? Don't be afraid to say if it was dumb! And this chapter (along with the next couple, likely) was pretty slow, but it'll pick up eventually! :)**

**Guest****: Dang, did I just come up with something funny? ISSA MIRACLEZ! XD **

**Kittenizzy Loves Edward Elric****: Well, happy Wednesday! And thanks!**

**RedLicoriceMoustache****: Hehe... no hints! Sorry! It would ruin the epic ending I have planned! ;)**

**lotrprincess****: ...It's raining... *sniffle* Thank you :) I'm trying to focus on both making their bond develop and keep this story interesting at the same time, so yeah...**

**I'm graduating from the eighth grade this Friday! WOOHOO, summer break! So when I update on Wednesday, I won't have school, so I can update earlier than 9:30 at night! See ya then, guys! :D**

**-Dfire**


	8. Learning the Basics

**Hello, everyone! I'm sorry for not updating in so long, but real life has been a real pain in the neck. I was having bad allergy attacks for a long while, so I couldn't even look at my screen without my eyes burning, and then I went on a five day camping trip after the allergy attacks stopped. Well, I'm finally back with the latest, crappy filler chapter! XD (P.S. Why am I updating on a date that is obviously not Wednesday, you ask? Because I'm sick and tired of waiting for forever to update XP)**

Chapter 8: Learning the Basics

_Creee…_

Cynthia winced as her foot hit a particularly creaky floorboard. She instinctively whipped her head around, glancing nervously at her parents' room. With a final, skipped beat of her heart, she crept closer to her dad's study. Helios had already made it to the doorway of the room, waiting for her with his glowing amethyst eyes.

As she finally made it to the study, Cynthia released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her heart hammering, she stepped into the room, making sure she was well out of sight of her parents' room, and lit a lamp. The eerie glow revealed several bookshelves, ominous and full of looming shadows. She bit her lip before inspecting the books closely.

_"C'mon," _Cynthia muttered in her head. _"All of these are advanced books… Where's a nice, pretty _beginner's _book when you need one…?"_

She felt Helios nudge the back of her leg.

"What is it, Helios?"

He nudged her again, harder. "Mrrr."

Cynthia turned around to face Helios. He briefly wrapped his tail around her leg before marching over to a bookshelf and rigidly pointing his nose towards something. She walked over, kneeling and holding the lamp out so she could see. It was a very old, brown book; the soft edges of the spine and delicate, yellow pages were frayed. Squinting, she leaned in closer to read the spine.

"_Alchemy: The Basics_" it read in faded, gold print.

Cynthia quickly took the book from the shelf, tucking it under her arm.

"Thanks, Helios," she whispered. Helios just made an odd purring noise before patiently staring at her. She nodded, creeping back to the entrance of the study. With a single, concentrated breath, the lamp was blown out, and Cynthia once again resumed the trek to the "safety zone", her room, with Helios right at her heels.

-*FMA*-

She collapsed to the floor, exhaling. "Helios," she quietly grumbled, "I really don't want to do that again…"

Helios rested his head on her lap, looking vaguely tired. Cynthia allowed a smile to cross her face.

"But at least I got this…" she went around the room, lighting enough candles so that she could read the book easily enough, and so the light would hardly, if at all, be visible from her parents' room. Sitting on the bed and slowly taking the book into her hands, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. It was obvious that this book had seen decades go by, at the very least. She knew she would have to be very gentle with the frail, ancient pages. Helios didn't hesitate to jump up right beside Cynthia, peering curiously at the book over her arm. She took a deep breath and flipped it open. The first thing she noticed was neat, albeit scrawling, handwriting on the inside cover.

"_Property of Van Hohenheim_" it declared.

"I wonder who this Hohenheim person is," Cynthia mused, glancing at Helios. He just returned her look, as if to say, "I don't know, and I don't really care."

She turned the page, still puzzling over who "Van Hohenheim" would be. Maybe a friend of her dad's? Oh well. Maybe she would figure it out later. For now, she directed her attention to the next page. What she found… now that was more like it.

"_Alchemy is the science of understanding, deconstructing, and reconstructing matter._"

"Understanding… deconstructing… reconstructing…" Cynthia muttered. "Okay. I've got 'em memorized."

"_However, alchemy is not an all-powerful art. It is impossible to create something out of nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be paid. This is the law of Equivalent Exchange, the basis of alchemy._"

"Equivalent Exchange, huh?" She nodded slowly. "So… For example, if you try to make a statue, you need all the stuff to make a statue. You can't just make it out of thin air."

Helios cocked his head. Well, he supposed it made sense. After all, the book had just said that alchemy was a _science_, not magic.

"_Practitioners of alchemy (alchemists) that work for the military are known as State Alchemists. The only real difference between State Alchemists and regular alchemists is that State Alchemists are funded by the military in exchange for following the current head of the military. Despite following different rules, all alchemists agree that there are three things that no alchemist should ever commit. The first is defying the state, as it would cause unnecessary problems. The second is making gold, because of the obvious impacts it would make on the economy. And finally, the worst of all the things, is Human Transmutation. It is also known as 'The Taboo'. Attempting to bring a human back to life is the worst sin amongst alchemists. Few are ever able to survive Human Transmutation, and no attempt has ever been successful._"

Cynthia shivered for a second, frowning. "Trying to bring a human back to life…? That's…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

_"Chilling." _Helios thought.

"But," Cynthia started, a bit unsure. "It's… not really for us to judge, I guess. The alchemist who attempts Human Transmutation… Well, they have to know how to do it first, right? That would mean that they knew it was the Taboo for a reason, and that no one had ever succeeded. If they were desperate enough not to listen to the warnings, then the grief they were feeling must have been absolutely terrible…" She sighed longingly, wanting to read more, but got up and began searching for a good hiding spot for the alchemy book.

Helios lazily shifted into where Cynthia had been sitting, enjoying the warmth. Once she had hid the book under her mattress, she narrowed her eyes at Helios, not amused.

"Helios, I need to get into bed. If I'm too tired tomorrow, then Dad's going to get suspicious."

The fox yawned, a smug look on his face.

She sighed before rolling her eyes, picking up Helios (who was rather indignant) and throwing herself under the sheets. However, she didn't put him down on the ground. He gave her a surprised look.

"Don't get used to it, Helios. I just don't feel like arguing with you tonight, that's all."

Not one to pass up a good opportunity, Helios quickly settled himself over her stomach. Cynthia just sighed before closing her eyes. A few moments passed before Cynthia sighed again.

"We really only read a page, and there's already a lot of stuff to memorize…"

Helios grunted in acknowledgement before falling back to sleep. After a long while, Cynthia managed to join him, unanswered questions racing through her mind.

**...I hope this chapter, at the very least, turned out decent... Kind of slow, but *HOPEFULLY!* the action will start coming in. Eventually. (I've kind of been writing this story as I go, and the only thing I really have planned is the ending, so... *sweatdrops*) Oh, and as you'll notice, I changed the summary with something probably a little better... XD Anyways, see you all next time~!**

**Lotrprincess****: Well, of course Ed is sort of turning out like his own father... Besides the abandonment thing, of course. But I actually noticed that, throughout the series, Ed acts a LOT like Hohenheim when he was younger, as well as looking almost just like him. But he probably thinks that he needs to protect Cynthia, so... yeah...**

**Kittenizzy Loves Edward Elric****: Ehehe. And this Wednesday just happened to be a lot farther than you thought... It's also not even WEDNESDAY! *le gasp***

**BabyBlueBeluga****: Of course Helios can get anything he wants from his human. He's a cute, fuzzy FOXY~! **

**RedLicoriceMoustache****: Well, by now I can say, "Happy end of school!" *facedesk* XD Oh, and it's spelled Hohenheim... I mostly remember that because I'm always calling him Van Hoho, lol. As for your guessing... AHAHA, I SHALL NEVER SAY A WORD! *vanishes in a puff of smoke***

**ValleyOfDeath****: Thanks! I'm glad you like it :3**

_**-Dfire**_


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

I am so sorry for not updating for over a month, but I'm having a bit of difficulty with the chapters. (Really? Thousand word chapters are giving you ISSUES? *facedesk*)

No, this story will NOT be dropped or forgotten in a dusty corner, but I've decided to write the whole story out instead of just improvising the chapters as I go. This will be a good thing for a couple reasons, including the fact that I will likely write better, I'll have plenty of time to doublecheck any chapters I write, and I will actually be able to update once a week every week, instead of leaving month long gaps between my updates.

It'll take a while to completely write the story out, but it WILL be updated again. And after that next update, you can definitely expect once a week, on time updates.

Again, I am terribly sorry, but I think this situation will work out better. Thank all of you for being patient and amazing! I write better because of and for you guys! :)

Until next time,

_**Dfire**_


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